1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a rotary input apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a mobile terminal has the numbers 0-9 and the symbols * and # on a keypad of 12 keys. In addition to the numbers, there are also alphabet letters as well as consonants and vowels of Korean letters marked on such a keypad, to enable the input of information including numbers and letters. Recently, there are also navigation keys formed above the keypad equipped with a variety of functions such as phone number search, writing and managing text messages, and connecting to the Internet, etc. There are various forms of navigation keys, such as button types and rotary types, etc., but the use of rotary input apparatus is currently increasing, as they enable various functions such as menu browsing, etc.
As the latest mobile terminals are becoming more and more slim in shape, so also is there a demand for these rotary input apparatus to be slim. In addition to being slim, there is also a demand for endurance to withstand external impact. However, since in conventional rotary input apparatus there are Hall sensors or MR sensors, etc., mounted on the printed circuit board, etc., there is a limit to how much the thickness can be decreased. Also, since the portion supporting the rotary plate is generally secured to the base, etc., by means of molded products, the input apparatus are vulnerable to external impact.